Niska Land Holdings

The management plan process used to develop the approved Niska Landholdings Management Plan followed the steps below:

1. Gather existing relevant data, property records, research and documents related to the property, relevant sections from subwatershed plans, reports, and policies.
2. Describe the property’s physical and natural heritage attributes and geographic context, its history and land management practices, and its current use.
3. Create and show in map form, physical and natural heritage attributes and land classifications.
4. Make recommendations for opportunities for management of the property.
5. Compile all of this information into an informative and readable draft management plan.

As part of the above process, the Niska Landholdings Draft Management Plan was available for a 45 day period between May 11 and June 25, 2023 for public comment. Discussions were also held with the First Nations that were consulted on the draft management plan. The requirements for public consultation are prescribed in the Minutes of Settlement (1MB PDF), and the GRCA's process to date has fulfilled these requirements. 

In 2017, the GRCA was involved in an Ontario Municipal Board hearing, during which an 8-hectare portion of the Niska Landholdings was included in a list of land use appeals. This 8-hectare portion of Niska is displayed below.  

On March 14, 2018, the appeal was withdrawn as part of the Minutes of Settlement (1MB PDF), which require several actions be undertaken by the GRCA.  

Niska is currently closed to the public. Use of the property is limited to the agricultural use of two farm fields. A gate and main entrance into Niska is located on the north side of Niska Road for GRCA operational purposes. An entrance path to the field on the south side of Niska Road is available for the agricultural tenant's exclusive use. There are no other officially recognized access or entry points into Niska and there are no trespassing signs located along the perimeter of the property.

Provided that the Management Plan is approved by the GRCA Board, the GRCA will engage with the City of Guelph to explore opportunities to enter into a maintenance agreement to maintain portions or all of Niska. As noted in the Minutes of Settelement, the City and the GRCA agree to establish a joint working group, which shall include members of the public, to consider the implementation of a trails system at Niska. The working group shall consider, among other things, the function, location and character of trails.

GRCA staff routinely review land holdings to ensure they align with the mandate of the GRCA, mainly: flood control, protection of people and property, and conservation and management of ecologically sensitive lands. Lands that fall outside the scope of these objectives may be considered for disposition by the GRCA.

Through the management plan process, GRCA staff concluded that the 8-hectare agricultural field south of Niska Road does not align with the mandate of the GRCA and meets the criteria for declaring the property surplus. The GRCA evaluates opportunities to dispose of, or enter into long-term agreements for properties that do not align with its mandate. 

The disposition of land follows a separate process that requires approval of the GRCA Board and may also require that additional notification is provided to other agencies. You can learn more about the GRCA's ability to purchase and dispose of lands on our Land Disposition webpage.

The Province requires that any revenue generated from the sale of land must go into a special reserve for projects of the following nature:

• Acquisition of provincially significant conservation lands and/or managed forests
• Major maintenance of flood control structures
• Acquisition of ecologically sensitive lands
• Hazard land mapping
• Flood and erosion control projects (and related studies)
• Watershed management plans

These are projects that benefit the public good and watershed residents, as well as enhanced watershed health, ultimately creating a cycle that manages land holdings in a responsible and sustainable way.

The GRCA wants to ensure that the key natural features and habitat at Niska are conserved or enhanced. They include Hanlon Creek, areas adjacent to the Speed River, and the wetlands and forested areas found at Niska. These areas provide wildlife habitat, help protect water quality, and contribute to the area’s natural heritage system.

A few ways these features are currently protected include:

• Most of the natural areas are part of a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) complex. This designation provides a high level of protection from development or incompatible uses;
• They are identified as part of the Natural Heritage System in Guelph’s Official Plan.